Till Death Do Us Part

Jack

"Tommy?"

Tommy stepped through the doors to the Jack Manifold Hotel, looking around in disgust. His beautiful red decor had been removed and replaced with an ugly dark blue. Was this really what his legacy here had become? He turned to Jack, who was staring at him with wide-eyes from the reception desk.

"What the fuck have you done to my hotel!?" He said.

Jack startled, still looking at him in disbelief. "I- Wha- You're dead!"

"Obviously not!" Tommy was a bit offended at how many people seemed to have assumed that. "Why is everything blue? Do you know how ugly blue is?"

"W- There's black too!" Jack defended, like that made anything better. If anything, combining black with blue was bringing more pain to Tommy. And he thought it was okay???

Isaac groaned and Tommy stopped himself from trying to educate Jack on acceptable colour schemes.

"Just- can we have a room." Tommy said.

Jack's gaze was weary as he typed something into the register. "Sure. How long for?"

"A week."

"Cool, cool. Are you here to see Phil and Techno?"

Tommy froze. "What do you mean Techno and Phil. I thought they didn't live here anymore."

"Oh, they don't." Jack shrugged, completely ignoring Tommy's paling face. "They're coming down to see Wilbur. They'll be here in a day or too."

"Don't you mean Ghostbur?" Tommy replied, despite the hand that was slowly closing around his heart. Of all the weeks to end up in Esempi. It had been twelve years since he'd seen his Dad and pseudo-brother.

Jack laughed nervously. "Uh, no? Dream revived him. Ghostbur's gone now."

Tommy swore his heart stopped. If it wasn't for Isaac in his arm, he probably would've fainted then and there. He could vaguely feel himself shaking, but everything felt hazy.

Ghostbur was the only one who'd actually cared about him during exile, and now he's gone? Replaced by Wilbur, no less.

Jack was watching him in mild concern. "Did you not know that?"

Tommy inhaled deep through his nose. "No I did not know that Jack, I've been in Illea for past seven years."

"Oh. I thought you'd died."

"Yes, I know." Tommy sighed.

Jack reached behind him to grab a pair of keys off the wall, nodding hesitantly.

"Well, here are your keys. The sum of your stay will probably come to about 9 diamonds."

Tommy gaped at Jack. "9- Jack I made this hotel. Surely that calls for a discount. Or, I don't know, a free stay!"

"What, don't you have the diamonds?" Jack said, raising an eyebrow.

"I do! I just think I'm wasting them on you."

Jack glared at him. "Okay. Be like that then." He retracted the hand offering the keys and moved to put them back.

"Wait! Wait, wait, wait. Jack c'mon, please. Just a little discount? I have a dying son here." Tommy pouted a little.

Jack's eyes darted from Isaac to Tommy and back to Isaac. "... 8 diamonds."

Tommy sighed. He was too tired to bargain.

"Whatever. Here you go." He counted out the diamonds and pushed them into Jack's hand, snatching the keys from his other.

"See you later!" Jack called as Tommy walked towards the elevator.

"Sure." Tommy muttered.

"See you soon."